Military Officers File Brief Against Bush's Policy in Guantanamo: "

'If we want the world to play by the rules, we have to be on the moral high ground,' said Brahms, who spent 26 years in the Marines before opening a private law practice in Carlsbad, Calif. "

From three officers who's patriotism is unquestioned comes this challenge to the Gitmo incarcerations. This is not about some question of whether these prisoners are being mistreated, which is not a serious question in my mind, but about how this country can participate in the global moral debate. If we don't even abide by our own principles, then how can we preach them to others? How do we stop other countries from incarcerating prisoners indefinately? What if they are Americans?

The Moussaoui case also comes to mind. The defendant has asked to interview Al Quaeda detainees around the world who might say that he was not involved in 9-11. The government says no. I understand that completely. There are good reasons to keep that war on terror going and not turn over information to someone like Moussaoui. But the government is not content with that. They want to deny the man exculpatory evidence and still execute him. How is that reasonable? The government should have cut a deal with this man early on and gotten as much information as they could: incarcerate him for 20 years and move on. As it is, they risk losing the trial all-together. We have heard rumors that they might then switch him to a military tribunal, which would cement our falling image as hypocrities who criticize other judicial systems while manipulating the outcome in a China or Iran type of system. Not a proud moment in our history.